Right, my blogging seems to have suffered in recent months due to excessive workload and a bit of running thrown in for good measure. Apart from my continuing fear of snakes and general overweight bearing the training has been progressing nicely.
I finally got myself a coach for the running, one of HK's better trail runners, to be known as 'the feet' from here on in. We've had 4 sessions so far and it's been an interesting revelation just how easy I've previously been training. Either that or the feet is actually trying to kill me. I thought we were friends. Our first session was a nice 25k jaunt along half of the Hong Kong trail. Generally downhill in elevation but with a couple of nice little hills along the way. As we set off, the Feet dropped in behind me to observe my (lack of) style. His first observations 'why is your right foot slapping?' and 'your left arm sort of sticks out like this'. He then preceded to run down the trail in front of me, looking a little like the hunch back of notre dam. Now I know I'm not a silky smooth runner, more hippo in style than wolf, but frankly I was a little offended. However, I decided to man up and Quasi Mo Do'd off down the trail after the feet. Ego in tatters.
The next two sessions were fantastic, minus the constant calls of 'stop slapping your feet down, run like you're on rice paper grasshopper!' or 'relax the shoulders, what are your arms doing now?!'. But again I manned up and took it all in. There's a surprising amount of technique involved in running, of which I have mastered next to none, so it's nice to get an ongoing commentary on how to improve. However hurtful. Sensei Feet's theory that us trail runners are donkeys compared to the tracks race horses fits kind of well with me, although Donkeys everywhere may be mildly offended at the comparison. I'd started to feel that this donkey has been making real progress, despite the heat and humidity here. Until Thursday's session.
Essentially it was a mix of running, burpees, squats, hil sprints, stairs, plyometrics and other exercises that my body did not recognise and could not cope with. From about 20 minutes into the session I couldn't feel my legs and as we progressed onto pull up type things my arms quickly followed suit. By the end of the session, one and a half hours later I felt a little like someone had attached my head to a pile of jelly. I have to admit I no longer see the feet as a friend. In fact I could hardly see at all, the tears were really hampering my vision! I need to confess here that he's got a few years on me, but it helped me to recognise my genetic ability as I slogged up a 10 minute stair climb, muttering under my breath and he danced alongside me looking slightly bored by my lack of progress, merrily chatting away. 'One of my clients once called me a w**nker when I made them walk up here, but you'd never do that would you mate'... 'Sorry w**nker?' I thought, whilst shouting brightly 'of course not coach!'. It was truly one of the hardest sessions I've done (not helped by a 19k run around the peak the night before- coach has also trained me that the first rule of ultras it to get your excuses in early. In some areas I am a fast learner). It's the first time I've wanted to vomit since my last 6am finish in Wan Chai and has taken 2 days for me to recover. But it'll all be worth it in the end I am sure. I have to say having a coach is making a real difference so for anyone starting out, I recommend the feet, as long as you don't mind simulating death whilst being talked to in a rather chirpy manner.
Distance wise, I've been getting in 80-100k a week so feeling ok, but I'm now very aware how slow I am compared to the 'proper runners' as I like to call them. Very, very slow.
One real positive is that I have found some effective trail shoes for the big lads. I'll be mincing around the Alps in my sparkly red Salomon S Lab 4's this August and I've bought some Black Diamond Ultra Z Poles, which are amazingly light. Not sure how long they'll last with 100kg of altitude induced asthma attack leaning on them, but they are also very shiny so I like them a lot. I'm pretty much a trail crow when it comes to kit. The brighter and shinier the better. And the happier I become, I think I'm pretty much a triathlete when it comes to kit. It makes me a bit ashamed. I'm still thinking what t-shirt to wear as I continue to have nipple related issues on my longest runs, even with liberal amounts of body glide applied. I'm looking for the silkiest t-shirt available for the hundred miler. Nothing to do with the nips. I just like silky shirts. Probably go for a bit of North Face action. Combined with the SLABS, I'll pretty much be an ultra pimp. I'm kind of hoping the Salomon effect may help me out a little as their runners seem to be cleaning up the big 100's so far this year. They may look slightly wrong in their white n tight suits, but they sure are fast. I just look wrong. Hey ho, onwards and upwards.
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